Vending-machine.



Patented Jan. 12, 1909. 1

2 SHEETfi-SHEET 1.

J. SCHMIDT. VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT, 21, 1907.

Patented Jan.12, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

sracras enrich.

JOHN SCHMIDT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL: VENDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CGRPORATIGN OF MISSOURI VE ND INGJKAGHINE l lo. 909,688. Specification. of Letters Patent. Patented .Tan. 12, 1909. i

' Application filed October 21, 1907. Serial No. 398. 108. I

To all whom it may concern: I e it lUIO n that 1, JOHN SCHMIDT, a citi- I zen of the United States, and a resident of plates 3. This cylindrical shell is preferthe city of St. Louis and'State of Missouri, I ably made of sheet metal and has longitudiprises a hollow cylindrical shell 4 fixed to a. shaft 5 which is journaled in the side 5 have invented a new and useful Iinprovenal depressions or pockets 6 formed in the ment in Vending-Machines, of which the periphery thereof of sutlicient size to accomt'ollowing is a specification. Y modate a cigar or such other article as it This invention relates to vending mamay be desired to deliver. Each of the dechines and more particularly to machines pressions has a yielding or resiliently 10 for vending cigars. It has for its principal mounted false bottom 7. Above said deobjects to provide for the delivery of a liveryrylinder is the feed mechanism. This plurality of cigars or other articles for a feed mechanism comprises a hopper of single coin or token; to provide for a prewhich adjustable side-plates 8 constitute the determined .succession of actuations of the ends. These side-plates are provided with It machine after the insertion of a single coin sleeved portions 9 which are mounted on a or token; and to attain certain advantages rod 10 and adapted to be secured. inposition hereinafter more fully appearing. by set screws 11. The sides of the hopper he invention consists in the parts and in consist of movable members, preferably end the arrangements and combinations of parts lessbelts 12, 13, ofrubber or other elastic 20 hereinafter described and claimed. material. These movable sides are ar- In the accompanying drawings which ranged at a considerable angle to each other. form part of this specification, and wherein one of them. T2, being nearly horizontal, and ike symbols refer to like parts wherever the other, 13, being nearly vertical. The they occur, rigure 1 is a vertical crossframe is provided with a support 14 for an 25 section of a cigar-vending machine embodyordinary cigar box in such position that the ing my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation with lower end of the box overlaps the outer end the cover-plate removed to expose the coin of the horizontal side 12 of tie hopper. chutes; Figs. 3, at and 5 are detail views of The endless belts constituting the movable modified forms of ratchet wheels for the sides of the hopper are mounted upon drums 30 delivery-cylinder, perating and locking deor shafts 15, 16, which are provided with vices; Fig. 6 is a f IXagmentary sectional view sprocket Wheels 17, 18, respectively. Over inder and delivery-chute; Fig. 7 is a pers active view of the feedhopper, dc]ivery-cylinder an d associated 35 parts; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7; Figs. 9 and l0 are views in elevatipn? showing the positions of parts of the delivery-cylinder operating and oclting devices during the actuation of the of the delivery-0y l these sprocket wheels passes a sprocket chain 19 which cooperates with idler sprocket wheels 20 and isarrangcd to be actuated as hereinafter described. 1 i The hopper opening or space between the adjacent ends 01 the movable members of the hopper is immediately above the deilivery-cylinder, and the cylindcnactuating to machine; and, Fig. 11 is a detail view of the l mechanism is arranged to bring the pockets delivery-cylinder positioning device. therein into register with said opening suc- The vending inachine comprises a housing 'cessivcly. By this arrangement, the lower- 1 in which the feed and delivery meclnmism lmost cigar or other article in the hopper and the main portions of the actuating 45 mechanism are mounted.- The main frame I upon which these parts are mounted com-f prises 'a base portion 2 and two side mem- J cylinder. A. roller 21 is mounted on the side bers 3, preferably made of a single plate of i members 3 of the frame and has a pinion 22 heavysieet metal. The several shafts herstitted thereon and meshing with a pinion 23 50 inat'ter mentioned are journalcd in the said i lived on the shaft 16 which carries the sidemembers f the frame. sprocket wheel 18. When the delivery-cyl The delivery mechanism preferably cominder is moved to take a cigar from the hop-- is fed into the pocket, and the yielding false bottom of the pocket protects the cigar against IHJHIY during the movement of the ing the forward movement of the delivery-' yond position to coming clogge per, the cigar projectin a short distance bethe periphery of t e cylinder will con: tact with the roller 2-1, thereby causing the false bottom of the pocket to yield sufliciently to permit the cigar to pass by said roller without injuring the wrapper. guard 24 is provided to prevent the cigar from being ejected from the pockets when the yielding bottom returnsjto normal position, and to retain the cigars within the respective pockets until the same are in proper deliver a cigar into a delivery chute 25. -The delivery-chute terminates in a trough 26 outside the housing of the ma chine. v

In order to revent the hopper from be- (ij the movablesides are preferably arranged to be moved endwise simultaneously. The horizontal side is preferably moved towards the hop or opening at the same time that the vertical side is moved upwardly therefrom. These movements of the hopper sides occur just prior to and durcylinder; and the return stroke of the actuating mechanism causes a reversal of the movement of the movable sides of the hop-,

per. By, this arrangement, the forward movement of the delivery-cylinder brings an empty pocket intoregister with the opening of the, feed-hopper, so that the lowermost cigar therein is free to drop into said pocket. The delivery-cylinder is provided with a snap-acting centering device which isso arranged that the pocket registers with the hopper opening before the end of the forward movement of the horizontal side of the hopper. In consequence of this arrangement, the movement of the horizontal side has a tendency, to dislodge and feed forwardly the lowermost cigar and thereby prevent it from becoming stuck.

Preferably, the centering device comprises a star wheel 27 fixed on the shaftof the delivery-cylinder, and an antifriction roller 28 mounted upon a spring-pressed arm 29 and arranged to bear against the periphery of saidstar wheel. By this arrangement,

' the pressure of the spring-pressed arm transmitted through the anti-friction roller on the star wheel causes a rapid movement of the cylinder as soon as the roller passes the apex of the tooth of the star wheel, and before the actuating bar reaches the inner limit of its movement.

The actuating mechanism comprises a manually-operable push-bar 30 which traverses the lower end of a coin chute 31. This or token. A coin 23 o chute terminates in a constricted ortion 32 which constitutes a tra or seat or a coin proper size resting on this seat is in position to bear against a lever 34 pivotally mounted 'in an enlarged passageway 35 w ch communicates with the ranged to engage a tooth or projection 39 of a ratchet wheel or disk 40 fiired on the shaft of the delivery cylinder. This pawl when in enga ement with a tooth 39 serves to lock the d elivery cylinder against forward rotation. i

The menu lly-operable push-bar 30 has a projection or pawl 41 thereon arranged to bear against the lowermosttooth of a ratchet wheel 42 fixed on the shaft of the deliverycylinder. This pawl is ivotally mounted and is resiliently held against a suitable stop on the push-bar, so that it will move the ratchet wheel during of said push-bar, but will ride under the lowermost tooth upon the return stroke of the ush-bar.

The push-bar carries a pin or stud 43 which rests in an elongated slotor bifurcation of a lever or pivoted arm'44 which is held in normal or forward position by a spring, 45. This pivoted arm is attached to the sprocket chain 19 which passes over the sprocket wheels on the belt-actuating shafts and also over the idler, sprocket wheels, whereby both the inward and outward movels for the sevthe inward movement ments of the actuating bar are transmitted to the belts. The inward movement of the actuating bar causes the inner end of said bar to bear against the coin 33 which constitutes an element in the train for disengaging or unlocking the delivery-cylinder topermit rotation thereof. A continuation of the inward movement of the aetuatin bar pushes the coin under the lever '34 w ereby the pawl 38 is 'moved away from the tooth 39 of the ratchet wheel 40. At this time, the projection 41 on the actuating bar engages the owermos. tooth of the ratchet wheel 42, whereupon the delivery-cylinder is rotated until the snapacting centerin device acts to throw the deliver -,cylin er into proper position to bring t e next succeeding empty pocket intp register with the hopper opening so as to receive the lowermost cigar therein. When the coin has performed its function in the train, it is e ected into a chute 46 which: terminates in an inclined chute'47 leading tg a coin box 48. The restricted passageway beneath the coin trap or' rest leads. into the chute 47, said passageway to eliminate coins of smaller size than tha required to operate the machine. The coin being intended eoaees:

box 48 is provided with a transparent panel 49 to permit inspection of the contents, and its bottom comprises a trap-door 50 adapted to be 'overbalanced by a considerable number of coins. When the trap-door is overbalanced the coins are dumped into a suittute an element of the actuating mechanism and the actuating bar is operated; and said locking device remains inefi'ective until a predetermined succession of strokes of the actuating bar has been made to deliver a cigar for each complete actuation thereof.-

For example, the machine may be arranged --to rend two cigars for a quarter of a dolcylinder,

, ing drawing is arranged to vend two lar; three for a quarter; or, as the case may be. Or any other desirable combination may be made. This is accomplished by the number and position of the teeth on the ratchet Wheel 40 relative to the number and position of the teeth on the ratchet wheel 42; that is, the number of the teeth on theratchet wheel 42 should be equal to the number of pockets in the deliveryand the number should be a multiple of the number of teeth on the ratchet wheel 40 and also of the number of cigars to be vended for a single coin.

The machine illustrated in the accompany.- cigars In this case the ratchet six for a'quarter,

for a single coin.

wheel i2 is provided with six teeth and the delivcry-cylinder a like number of pockets.

The ratchet wheel 40 is provided with three" teeth of which six is a multiple. Hence, the delivery-cylinder may be rotated two steps or a distance of two pockets when the pawl is released from a tooth on the ratchet wheel 1'0 and before the next succeeding tooth is arrested by the pawl. Thus, two cigars may be delivered from the machine upon the in: sertion of a single coin. A. detailed oorre- ,lation of the ratchet wheels to and a2 is illustrated in Fig. 3. This arrangement is for vending two articles for one coin. In Figs. i and 5 are detailed arrangements for vending, respectively, three-articles for one coin and six articles for one coin. Obviously, other combinations'may be'made and the device is capable ofconsiderable modification within the scope of my invention, an therefore, I do not wish to be restricted to the particular construction and arrangement shown and described.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A vending machine comprising a deeral pockets therein,

livery-cylinder having pockets in its periphcry, mechanism for feeding articles intmsaid pockets, and manually operable mechanism operatively connected to said cylinder and said feed mechanism to a locking device therefor comprising a stopwheel having equidistant stops thereon, and a pawl arranged to cooperate with said stops, said actuating-mechanism for said deliverycylinder comprising a ratchet wheel having teeth the number of which is a multiple of the number of stops on said first mentioned wheel, and -means for releasing said pawl from said stop-wheel whereby said actuatingmechanism is rendered efiective to successively actuate said delivery-cylinder to de liver a plurality ofarticles.

2. A: vending machine com livery-cylinder having a plurality of periphmechanism for feeding articles into said pockets, and manually op-v operate the same,'

rising a dey.

erable mechanism operatively connected to said cylinder and said feed mechanism to comprising a locking device for said cylinder comprising a stopwheel having equidistant stops thereon, the number of stops being less than the number of pockets, and the number of pockets being a multiple thereof, a pawl arranged to coiiperate with said stop-wheel, means for releasing said operate the same, said actuating mechanism positioning a detachable and insertible ele-' ment to effect the release of said-pawl, whereby said actuating mechanism is rendered effective to successively actuate said delivery-cylinder to deliver a plurality of articles for each inserted element. I

3. A vending machine comprising a delivery-cylinder having a plurality of equidistant peripheral pockets therein, mechanism for feeding articles into said pockets, mechanism operatively connected to said cylinder and said feed mechanism to operate the same, said actuating mechanism comprising a manually reciprocable actuating -bar and a ratchet wheel in fixed relation to said deliverycylinder, the number of'teeth of said ratchet wheel being equal to the number of pockets in said delivery-cylinder, said actuating bar having a device thereon to engage said ratchet wheel, a locking-device for said delivery-cylinder comprising a ratchet wheel in fixed relation to said firstmentioned ratchet wheel and having equidistant teeth thereon of less number than the teeth on said first mentioned ratchet wheel, and of which lesser number the larger is a multiple, means for releasing said lock-' mg pawl rrom its cooperatiugratchet wheel, 1

said releasing means comprising means for positioning a detachable and insertlble element to eflect the release of said locklng pawl comprising a trap having a chute lead- 95 pawl from said stop-wheel, and means for ing thereto from 01 1tsid e of the machine, whereby smd aptuatlng mechanlsm may be of October, 1907.

rendered efiective to successively actuate said delivery-cylinder to deliver a phu'aliiy 01 JOHN bbHMlDl' articles for each inserted element.

In testimony whereof, I have. signed my name to this specification in the presence Witnesses: I

(Jr. A. PEXMNGTON, J. B. Mmowx.

two subscribing Witnesses this 18th day 

